Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-08-25
zzxEp BY 4 HOME HYMN.
slert d We.

sstory q The war.
&, lie Albany Evening Journal.
5e night before the battle Of
o nf regiment had come TO the
fsrced march SO rs to be
Is al the expected fight of the
.zou. aud, after a hearty supper
n5ssse had picked out the softest
ze m could lind. and wrapped in
g Markets everybody but the sen,
s. ~asldreaming ofhoms and loved
~ III thoughts of the bloody en-.
20 xs,.nf of the coming morn mtrud.
~ ,se only anticipated victory
e rcnld meet tine Yankees in
>ie / had inst finished my pipe. and
& s;stinr making ready for the rest
sie..n 20 much needed, when
~ Brown, OF our company, sent a
<5scs,ser ordering me to repair at
.rrsto hea quarters
sSsnderin what could be wanted oil
and knowing that our colonel
ia men TO respond promptly, ]
- "a on MY boots aud reported at
/ ,ent 3 he colonel opened his bust.
a once. Sergeant. said he, al
e Won 10 do particular duty to-
~ A srcsit reports the Yankees
5nrss on the ether side of the creek,
Ia hat they have picketed the
.nsd neil. Now you are the crack
hof 81 tae regiment. and want yeuto
Il <ou,e ine work might. In other
osss want you to see that your
,xip GOOD order. and try and
~ an some OF The Yanks who are
.{;one1 down on the edge OF that
49, al woods below the bridge that
burned this evening. Two Of our
nen. as you know. were picked of by
shsrn-shonters this evening. and as
.srn abouSas lair play, see ifyou can't
.;rs she yanks "A couple of funerals to
ztfsn6 20. The moon rises at IL
srsock and you will have q chance to
<,ske sonie good shots"
salutcd and repairing to my tent,
rsfsIully examined my gun, and TAX.
IS 20 rounds OF ammunition, walk
II 70 my assigned position. The
uicbt was a lovely Not II leaf
,rmbled, not q sound was heard
~bere the morning was to usher in the
roar Of artillery. the roll of musketry
sna the cries OF wounded and dying
men.
The point where / was stationed
was about rs feet hack fromthe bank
A the creek in q pine grove and with
Il GOOD shooting distance OF the pick
4 81 our Northern enemies. took
r,v1pcsition behind n large yellow pine
free. with my rifle leaning against it's
rink, ready for use at an instant's
uotice. The silence became oppres-
live. and I begun to think OF the old
home on the Sewanee. and OF the dear
oues whom ] had left alone and un-
cyofected, while | was fighting my
eopntry's battles hundreds of miles
>=ss fancied myself back again
amonc the old scenes. IL was once
more Sunday evening, and we were in
the parsor. and the piano was open,
and mr. sister sat before it, and she
vas playing. and the tune was
Jesus. Savior Of my s%ouI,"
and-
Did ! hear sright9
A rich baritone voice broke the ST.
ience OF that summer night. and from
spo:nt directly opposite NV position
can the words,
.Jesns. Savior OF my soul"
The tones were indsscribably rich,
a ii the soft, midnight air they came
fuI round and tender.
"Let me To thy bosom fy."
lust then the moonlight came
Stafoueh a %quiyering branch OF the
yine Tree. and within a hundred feet OF
81 shons on the form of a picket OF
fhe--th New York regiment as he
lesped eainst a tree.
Ny orders we're TO avenge the death
Of MY comrades killed in the early
morning. / raised my gun. had cotm my
aim perfect, and was about pulling
the trigger, when
Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow OF thy wing"
sas sung in a trustiuI way that dis
armed me. l lowered my rifle. The
memories OF home came back to me,
and J choked up. and for a minute
the f~oodgates were opened and ! cried
f. ike achiid.
At4 O'Clock, Just as the morning
d&xn,d. | was relieved, and made my
report to the colonel. The fighting
began as the sun rose, and early IN
ths day | was wounded severely and
carried to the rear, ana from thence
10 the hospital, where for six months
wa laid up. Well, the war finally
ended. and | returned home and re-
sumed the are of my family.
Two years ago / was on a steamer
bound for England. One Sunday
evening as we were nearing the English
coast the passengers were all on deck.
The moon was rising, and her light
came along in silyery bars over the
raves that were mere ripples, so calm
ii vas.
The ship on an even keel was max
ing good speed, and we were mutually
congratulatine each other that our
voyage was nearly ended. when
from a group near the stern
Of the ship came the words,
.Jesus, Savior Of my soul,"
sung in a rich, full baritone voice. II
vas just such ar evening as / heard it
sung 20 years befo.e, when with rifle
corked was about to take a human
life.
Twenty years had passed and here
were the same tones, the same hymn"
Let ms to thy bosom fly"
was back again among the pines
a1d then
Cover my defenseless head"
and the remembrance of the incindet
o 1665 was Vivid indeed.
The passengers crowded around the
singer. a white haired man of about
oO. congratulating him. He said.
lie last time / sang that hymn as a
solo was the night before the battle o.
was on picket duty. While
.stehing carefully as was my wont to
detect the presence OF the enemy's
sssspshooters an unaccountable dread
eSaie over me. felt that some awful
disaster was about to overtake me,
and prayed for protection, and then
began singing that hymn, when ut
tered the words,
Cover my. defenseless head
With the shadow OF thy wings"
lett as If a load were lifted, and as j
was safe from harm. The night
passed, my watch was over. The
battle the next morning was a bloody
one, but ] had escaped without q
scratch" He ceased and | ad'
Eanced, and grasping his hand an
nounced myself as the listener to his
yong OF that summer night on the
ranks oil --creek. and told him how
near death he was. We landed in Liv'
erpool, took the train for London, ar
ranged for travelling together, and
when We returned home fellow passen.
fers on the Etruria, a friendship had
pegun which time has cemented, and
20 night as / write this the words,